Unitary automatic ice cube machine



Dec. 29, 1964 H. J. HALL UNITARY AUTOMATIC ICE cuss MACHINE Filed Oct.11, 1962 INVENTQR. HENRY a. 6941!.

Dec. 29, 1964 H. J. HALL 3,163,019

' UNITARY AUTOMATIC ICE cuss MACHINE Filed Oct. 11, 1962 2 She ets-Sheet2 55 Q 54 47a 6 F/G 7 INVENTOR. HEM/97d. 6641 BY 66) ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent Ofitice 3,163,019 Patented Dec. 29, 1964 3,163,019 UNITARYAUTOMATIC ICE CUBE MACHlNE Henry J. Hall, 18912 Mapleview, Detroit,Mich. Filed Oct. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 229,944 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-137) Thisinvention relates to the refrigeration art and has particular referenceto a device for automatically making and dispensing ice cubes.

An object of the invention is to generally improve ice making machinesand to provide a device which may readily be positioned for use on theinside of any refrigerated space, such as a domestic refrigerator, adeep freeze chest, or the like, without major changes to therefrigerator, or deep freeze chest.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated, which is simple in construc tion, economical to manufactureand efficient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic ice cubemachine, which may readily be installed in an old or new refrigerator,without special equipment and without the necessity of disturbing theside walls of the refrigerator or deep freeze chest, except forproviding for the water and electrical supplies.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated, which is substantially selfcontained and does not depend uponthe side walls of the refrigerator or deep freeze chest for the supportof any of the mechanical elements of the machine, such as is requiredwith machines now known to the public.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic ice makingmachine which has an automatic water supply, with means to prevent thewater from freezing as it approaches the ice cube machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated, which is provided with novel heat transfer means which serveto automatically release the ice cubes from the machine after thefreezing cycle is completed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated, which is constructed and arranged so that the housing of themachine is non-heatconductive and will always remain at the sametemperature as the air surrounding it, thereby obviating any tendency offrost or ice to form thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated, which is provided with an automatic weight control, whichserves to stop the machine when sufficient ice cubes are made and servesas a safety factor in the event of a water overflow in the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated, which has means for the circulation of air in and around thetray whereby all walls of the molds of the tray are equally affected bythe cold dry air which causes the shrinkage of the cubes from the wallsof the molds to effect a dry harvest when the tray is inverted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device, which has as oneof its principal elements, an integrated upper and lower receptacle,which is constructed and arranged to provide a highly efiicient heattransfer throughout its area, particularly in the partition wall,whereby to make for the rapid freezing of water therein, and the rapidautomatic discharge of ice cubes therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated, which is provided with a novel arrangement of temperaturecontrols whereby the operating cycle of the device is rendered entirelyautomatic and highly eflicient.

I am aware of the fact that there are other automatic ice makingmachines available to the public, but such machines now known to thepublic leave much to be desired, and it is believed that the object andadvantages of the machine hereinabove indicated will obviate many of thedifficulties now encountered in using the machines now known to thepublic.

The foregoing and other objects and the advantages of the invention willbecome more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being madefrom time to time to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thewithin disclosure, in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a domesticrefrigerator with a device embodying the invention incorporated therein.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuits employed in thedevice illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a section taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be understoodthat in the embodiment herein disclosed, the reference character 11indicates a domestic refrigerator box having a freezing section 12, inwhich is mounted the device 13 embodying the invention. The device 13 issupplied with water through a water pipe 14 and electrical power isprovided for the device 13 through the electrical lead 15. The electriccircuits are protected by a suitable fuse 16 (FIG. 2) and the Waterentering the device is controlled by means of a solenoid valve which isconnected, as at 13, into the electrical system of the device. Thedevice 13 embodying the invention is housed in a suitable housing 19(FIG. 3), which is preferably made of plastic or some othernon-conductive material. The housing 1@ has a bottom wall 19A, top Wall1913, front wall 1%0, side walls 19D and 19E (FIG. 5), rear wall 19F andspaced partitions 19G and 19H, the latter of which serve as supportingmeans for certain of the mechanism hereinafter described. A junction box20 is provided for the electric circuits shown in FIG. 2. The waterinlet tube 14 is heated throughout its length on the interior of the box11 by means of a heating element 21, which is also connected into theelectrical circuits, as at 22 (FIG. 2). Mounted at the end of a shaft 24(FIG. 3) and rotatable therewith is a tray or receptacle 25, which isconstructed as hereinafter described.

The tray or receptacle 25 is preferably made of some high heatconductive material and in the embodiment herein disclosed isrectangular in shape and consists of side walls 25A and 25B and endwalls 25C and 251) (FIG. 5). The tray or receptacle 25 is divided intotop and bottom compartments by means of an undulating wall 25E (FIGS. 3and 5) which undulating wall 25E also divides each upperand lowercompartment into an equal number of spaces 25F and 25G (FIG. 3). Agroove 25H is formed in each undulation and communicates each space withan adjacent space on each respective side of the Wall 2513, so that aliquid level may be maintained in each of the spaces in each compartmentwhen the tray is positioned for receiving water. A space 25I is providedat each end of the tray 25 so that excess liquid may be drained from thetray. The shape and positioning of the undulating wall 25B is importantso that proper heat exchange may be effected therethrough. With thisarrangement it is obvious that when ice cubes are frozen in the tray 25and the tray is inverted and a new supply of water is introduced, theheat from the incoming water will have a considerable expense of surfacethrough which it may be conducted to the inverted ice cubes, whichtogether with the shrinking of the cubes by the circulating cold aircauses them to be released from the tray.

The shaft 24 is supported in suitable bearings 26 and 27 carried by thepartitions 19G and 19H. At the opposite end of the shaft 24 is a'wheel23 having a pin 2% therein, to which is secured one end of an arm 36.The other end of the arm 30 is slotted, as at 31 (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) inwhich slot is received a pin 32 carried on a larger wheel 33 which ismounted on a spindle 34 supported by the partition 19G. The wheel 33 isdriven by the gear 35 and the pinion 36 through a suitable gear box 37which, in

. turn, is driven by a motor 38, which is supported, as at 39,

on the partition 19H. The motor 38 is connected, as at 4%, into theelectrical circuits (FIG. 2). The gear train is intermittent and istimed to rotate on one-half minute intervals.

The pin 29 also has attached to it one end of a short arm 41 (FIGS 3 and4) the other end of which is attached to a spring 42 which is supportedon the wall HD. The spring 42 and arm 41 serve to pull the wheel 28 andtray 25 into six oclock position after the pin 29 has passed the threeoclock position on the Wheel 28. The continued rotation of the wheel 28is prevented by a stop pin 43 which is carried on the shaft 24 and isarranged to strike the semi-circular collar 44 which is supported by thebearings 26 and 27 (FIG. 3). The stop pin 43 and collar 44 permit thewheel 28 and tray 25 to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise onlythrough an arc of 180 as shown by the directional arrows in FIG. 4. Thispositions the tray 25 with one side up for loading and the same sidedown for dumping the ice cubes after freezing.

The housing 19 (FIG. is provided with an air channel 46 whichextendsalong a part of the wall 19E around the end wall 19F and terminates at apoint 47 along the wall19D. The channel 46 is intended to help in thecirculation of cold air over and around the tray 25. It will beremembered that the device embodying the invention is positioned insidea refrigerated area so that the air in and about the device is of equaltemperature. The cold air is circulated through the channel 46 and overand around the tray 25 by means of a blower 47A which is driven by amotor 48 which is connected, as at 49 (FIG. 2) into the electriccircuits of the device. Mounted on the side of the tray 25 is athermostatic switch 59 (FIGS. 3 and 5) which controls the circuit to thedrive motor 33 as shown in FIG. 2. The electric circuits shown in FIG. 2are also controlled by a master switch 51 and a normally closed threepole switch 52, as herein after explained.

The switch 52 (FIG. 4) is arranged to be opened by means of a rocker arm58, which is pivoted as at 58A and spring-biased as at 533. The arm 58is actuated by a pair of cam lobes 59 and 60 formed on the wheel 33 andfunctions as hereinafter described. The wheel 33 is timed to rotate sothat each lobe 59 and 60 strikes the arm 58 to actuate the switch 52every minutes when the wheel 33 is operating. The switch 52 is connectedinto the electrical circuits as shown in FIG. 2

Positioned beneath the tray of the housing 19 is an ice cube collectorbin 53 which is a rectangular boxlike member open at the top and pivotedat one end, as at 54, in a suitable channel formed in the bottom wall ofthe housing. The opposite end of the bin 53 is provided with a pair offlat springs 55 which serve to hold the free end in elevated positionwhen the bin is empty or only partly filled. When the bin 53 becomesfilled with ice cubes from the tray 25, the weight of the ice cubes willcause the spring 55 to flatten, permitting the came face 56 to actuatethe plunger of the switch 57 which is also connected in the electricalcircuit, as shown in FIG. 3.

The device operates as follows:

Assuming the device is connected to a suitable source of water andelectricity as shown in FIG. 1. When the elements of the master switch51 are chilled to a temperature of approximately 26 F., the main circuitis closed, transmitting electrical energy to the blower motor 48 and thewater supply heater 21. This condition remains until the temperaturecontrolled switch 50, which is carried on the tray 25, has been chilledto approximately 12 F. When the temperature of the control switch 50reaches 12 F. the circuit to the drive motor 38 is closed, causing themotor 38 to be actuated to drive the intermittent gear train 37, andthrough the elements 35 and 36, to rotate the wheel 33. As previouslystated, the wheel 33 is geared to make a revolution each one-halfminute, and as previously stated, the wheel 33 carries the cam members59 and oil, which open the normally closed switch 52. As the wheel 33rotates in a clockwise direction (FIG. 4) the cam 59 will strike the arm58 which in turn will strike plunger 52A to open the switch 52. Thiswill cut off the current to the blower motor 4% and turn on the currentto the solenoid valve 17. The solenoid valve 17 will remain open forapproximately one-half minute, allowing water to run into the upper partof the tray or receptacle 25. As the drive motor 38 continues to rotatethe cam 5? moves free of the arm 58, allowing the plunger 52A to moveoutwardly again opening the switch 52, thereby cutting oif the flow ofcurrent to the solenoid valve 17 and closing the circuit to the blowermotor 43, which causes cold air to be circulated over and around thetray 25, the upper part of which is now loaded with water. The cold aircontinues to be blown over and about the water until it is frozen intoice cubes. The drive motor 33 continues to operate without any movementof the small wheel 28 because of the lost motion provided between theslot 31 in the arm 30 and the pin 32 carried by the large wheel 33.\Vhen the temperature of the control switch 56, which is mounted on theside of the tray 25, reaches approximately 22 B, because of thecomparatively warm water which has entered the upper part of the tray25, the circuit to the drive motor 38 is opened, causing the motor 38 tostop. The machine will remain in this condition until the temperature ofthe switch 5! on the tray 25 again falls to approximately 12 F., atwhich time the circuit to the drive motor 38 will then be closed and thelarge wheel 33 will start to rotate and will continue rotation until thepin 32 on the wheel 33 reaches the end of the slot 31 in the arm 3%. Theend of the slot 31 will engage the pin 32 and the continued rotation ofthe wheel 33 will cause the arm 30 to be pulled down and by the sametoken will start the downward rotation of the small wheel 28, whichcauses the rotation of the shaft 24 and the downward rotation of thetray 25 carrying with it the ice cubes which have already been frozen inthe upper part of the tray 25.

When the tray 25 has been rotated downwardly a little more than thecentering arm 41, under the influence of the spring 42 will cause thewheel 28 and the shaft 24 and the tray 25 to rotate to the approximateposition of at which time the stop 43 will engage the lower left edge ofthe collar 44 and prevent the further clockwise rotation of the tray 25.In this position of the parts, the tray 25 will be inverted with the icecubes in the lower half of the tray, the upper half of the tray nowbeing empty and ready to be charged with a new supply of water. In thisposition of the parts, all circuits are closed except the circuit to thesolenoid valved 17 controlling the water supply. The motor 38 continuesto rotate, causing the rotation of the wheel 33. By this time the pin 32carried by the wheel 33 has passed lower dead center and is on its wayupward. As the pin 32 moves upward, it travels freely in the slot 31until it reaches the upper end of the slot 31, at which time it startsthe upward movement of the arm 39 and the counterclockwise movement ofthe wheel 28, the shaft 24 and the tray 25, which counterclockwisemovement of the tray continues until the stop 43 engages the lower righthand edge of the collar 44, which position is shown in FIG. 4. As thelarge wheel 33 continues to rotate in the clockwise -JD direction, thecam 60 carried on the wheel 33 strikes the arm 58. depressing theplunger 52A of the switch 52, thereby opening the circuit to the blower48 and closing the circuit to the solenoid valve 17, permitting water toenter the now empty upper half of the tray 25. The continued rotation ofthe drive motor 38 and the large wheel 33 moves the cam 60 free of thecontrol arm 58 and permits the switch 52 to again close, at the sametime opening the circuit to the solenoid valve 17 to admit more water tothe tray and closing the circuit to the air blower motor 48 causing thecold air to again pass over and around the tray. It will be rememberedthat the wheel 33 is timed to rotate to move each lobe 59 and 60 intoswitch 52 operating position each 15 minutes of motor 38 operation.

The wheel 33 continues to rotate without any movement of the small wheel28 because of the lost motion provided between the slot 31 and the pin32. The tray, the upper half of which is now again filled with water,remains in upright position until the temperature of the control switch50 on the side of the tray 25 has been elevated by the heat of the freshwater just admitted into the upper half of the tray. The entrance of thecomparatively warm water into the upper half of the tray 25 causes acomparatively rapid heat exchange through the undulating partition wall25E, thereby freeing the ice cubes in the lower half of the tray 25permitting them to fall into the collector bin 53. As the temperature ofthe tray 25 is warmed by the fresh water and reaches approximately 22F., the circuit to the drive motor 38 is then opened and the machinewill remain in this position until the temperature of the tray switch 50is again reduced to approximately 12 F. At this instant the circuit tothe drive motor 38 is again closed, and the motor 38 and the large wheel33 begin to rotate in a clockwise direction. The cycles continue untilsufficient ice cubes have been formed and deposited in the bin 53. Theweight of the filled bin 53 will cause the downward flexing of thesprings 55 and the opening of the switch 57 which will open the circuitto the drive motor 38 and stop the machine. The bin switch 57 may alsobe actuated if a water overflow in the device should fill the bin 53with water instead of ice cubes.

In the event that the temperature in the refrigerator area in which themachine is positioned should rise above 36 F., the main switch 51 wouldbe opened and the power supply to the machine would be stopped. This isa further safety factor in the machine.

From the foregoing it will be understood that I have disclosed acompact, automatic ice cube making machine which has direct applicationto domestic and commercial refrigerating devices.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a self contained self supported ice making machine including awater supply and a power supply, the combination of a portable,non-conductive housing, power means supported by said housing, saidpower means including an electric motor and gear train, driven by saidmotor, a rotatable shaft driven by said power means, through said geartrain, a tray supported for rotation with said shaft, said tray being arectangular member having an undulating partition dividing it into upperand lower sections, each section having a plurality of compartments, thecompartments of one section being staggered with respect to thecompartments of the other section and all compartments being separatedfrom one another by common partition walls, and temperature responsivemeans on said tray for controlling said power means, the said shafthaving a wheel at the end, opposite said tray, said wheel having aneccentric pin secured to a slotted arm, which in turn is connected to alarger wheel by means of a pin which is received in the slot of saidarm, said larger wheel being driven by said gear train and said motor,whereby to rotate said tray clockwise and counterclockwise, said housingcontaining means for directing air equally over, around and under saidtray, a blower for moving the air, and temperature responsive means forcontrolling said blower.

2. In a self contained self supported ice making machine including awater supply and a power supply, the combination of a portable,non-conductive housing, power means supported by said housing, saidpower means including an electric motor and gear train, driven by saidmotor, a rotatable shaft driven by said power means, through said geartrain, a tray supported for rotation with said shaft, said tray being arectangular member having an undulating partition dividing it into upperand lower sections, each section having a plurality of compartments, thecompartments of one section being staggered with respect to thecompartments of the other section and all compartments being separatedfrom one another by common partition walls, and temperature responsivemeans on said tray for controlling said power means, the said shafthaving a wheel at the end, opposite said tray, said wheel having aneccentric pin secured to a slotted arm, which in turn is connected to alarger wheel by means of a pin which is received in the slot of saidarm, said larger wheel being driven by said gear train and said motor,whereby to rotate said tray clockwise and counterclockwise, said housingcontaining means for directing air over and around said tray, a blowerfor moving the air, means for preventing said water supply from freezingprematurely, and temperature responsive means for controlling saidblower and said heating means.

3. In a self contained self supported ice making machine including awater supply and a power supply, the combination of a portable,non-conductive housing, power means supported by said housing, saidpower means including an electric motor and gear train, driven by saidmotor, a rotatable shaft driven by said power means, through said geartrain, a tray supported for rotation with said shaft, said tray being arectangular member having an undulating partition dividing it into upperand lower sections, each section having a plurality of compartments, thecompartments of one section being staggered with respect to thecompartments of the other section and all compartments being separatedfrom one another by common partition walls, and temperature responsivemeans on said tray for controlling said power means, the said shafthaving a wheel at the end, opposite said tray, said wheel having aneccentric pin secured to a slotted arm, which in turn is connected to alarger wheel by means of a pin which is received in the slot of saidarm, said larger wheel being driven by said gear train and said motor,whereby to rotate said tray clockwise and counterclockwise.

4. In a self contained self supported ice making machine including awater supply and a power supply, the combination of a portable,non-conductive housing, power means supported by said housing, saidpower means including an electric motor and gear train, driven by saidmotor, a rotatable shaft driven by said power means, through said geartrain, a tray supported for rotation with said shaft, said tray being arectangular member having an undulating partition dividing it into upperand lower sections, each section having a plurality of compartments, thecompartments of one section being staggered with respect to thecompartments of the other section and all compartments being separatedfrom one another by common partition walls, and temperature responsivemeans on said tray for controlling said power means, the said shafthaving a wheel secured to the end thereof opposite said tray, andarranged to rotate said shaft and said tray, said wheel having a pineccentrically securedthereto, a slotted arm, pivoted at one end on saidpin, said arm in turn being slidably connected to a larger wheel bymeans of a pin eccentrically secured to said larger wheel, which lastpin is received in the slot of said arm, said larger wheel being drivenby said gear train and said motor, whereby to rotate said tray clockwiseand counterclockwise and a leveler arm secured at one end to a springcarried by said housing and pivoted at the other end to said pin on saidfirst named wheel, whereby to speed the rotation of said first namedWheel and said tray after said first named pin has passed dead center onsaid first named wheel, and means to limit the rotation of said firstnamed wheel end said tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSLinstrornberg Sept. 25, 1962 De Turk Oct. 2, 1962 Knifiin Oct 23, 1962Hall Jan. 29, 1963

1. IN A SELF CONTAINED SELF SUPPORTED ICE MAKING MACHINE INCLUDING AWATER SUPPLY AND A POWER SUPPLY, THE COMBINATION OF A PORTABLE,NON-CONDUCTIVE HOUSING, POWER MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSING, SAIDPOWER MEANS INCLUDING AN ELECTRIC MOTOR AND GEAR TRAIN, DRIVEN BY SAIDMOTOR, A ROTATABLE SHAFT DRIVEN BY SAID POWER MEANS, THROUGH SAID GEARTRAIN, A TRAY SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION WITH SAID SHAFT, SAID TRAY BEING ARECTANGULAR MEMBER HAVING AN UNDULATING PARTITION DIVIDING IT INTO UPPERAND LOWER SECTIONS, EACH SECTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS, THECOMPARTMENTS OF ONE SECTION BEING STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO THECOMPARTMENTS OF THE OTHER SECTION AND ALL COMPARTMENTS BEING SEPARATEDFROM ONE ANOTHER BY COMMON PARTITION WALLS, AND TEMPERATURE RESPONSIVEMEANS ON SAID TRAY FOR CONTROLLING SAID POWER